THE BEACH SUICIDE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 32, 27 January 1908, Page 4

THE BEACH SUICIDE.

At tile iii'iiiest on Saturday into tli.: j c-ii. inn-tauccs mii rounding the tragic cii.l ul Alexander I.rattan lluige-s. aged ■'>*■ j wuo.-c shattered i-t-iMJUii- »<•!<■ I'.'im.l '■ ii...r the baths on lII'- |.i..»i.'ii- day. - vl '- j ' il. .--. riUheiU-rl. colonel, prc-idid. \> i.uiwtaMc Mchni -l.m-'ii lli-it '» •"■' i sOpHUcC 111 llllollll.lli.jU l-iciled lli' "fill I i„ i.ic vi.miiy ol the bath-, .ml there t 1..HU.1 a man's body, ibc upper portion | ol .Much was blown away. Scleral pur- ' ' ii,.u- i.t ttic remains were picked up : u J Ui.' uciiulj. lie had wad, au .".annua ' iii.ii .il tin., clothing, au.l iouuil -eicrai I papers ill reitreucc to a statioueiy bu-i- | m--. A small piece ut lusc wa- I..iiti,l ! c.0.-c by. A pair of glove- lay near tin- J body, au,l a sinall strip i.l a luieu ~,1'.,r ix.ariug the ueeeaseii's name k.i- j.ii-k-.[ up tweuty net away. Twenty yar.iavwy from the -pot »h,i.. tli. 1..j,h m.itottnd ttieiv vb. a hole iu the whiili appeareil to have Wen .-.iu-e.l l.| an explosion. He had kli.i.m lluij;.--. a IhioK-eller au.l slati'im-r. an.i tin- i-|.>t|iiiij mi tin- boily intiiiil na- v.-ry -imilat- t,. that usually worn l>y linn. i William Samls. paiiitei. ..i l-'n/my, j who nan engaged paiuiinj; at tin- luili-, I -.ii.l he saw a nun uallviug ..Ikjiii n.ir | tli.- li.UUs auil then goinj; m among th.i : lupins, wlieri' witness losi sight «i him. > l alter he heard a r.]«,rl. ll< tjioiiglit blasting operations were proeiediug. andoo continued with hi- i\..ilc. >oou alterwardtj a little girl i-aut-. along and -aid slie had luund a maiTs ear. UliT he went along the Ix-ai'h and luund the Ikklv not tar from where he had previously seen the matt walking. It was about 10.30 when he first ,a» the man. lie did not take particular notice js to who the man wa« or what clothes he was wearing. Henry Ward, ot »eu Plymouth, ironmonger, stated that he knew Kurge-s. Ihe bookseller. Uu Tuesday last he pur chased at witness's -hop a pound of gelignite, two caps, and aliout lour leet ot luse. The fuse produced was -iuiilar to that purchased. .Deceased asked il the fiu-e would act in waTer, and m- answered in the aflirmative. He asked lor sullicient cartriJges for two explosions. V\ hen he purchased the gelignite, witnesi noticed nothing at all wrong in his appearance, lie said be wanted it for blasting. Kose Reynolds, sister-in-law of deceased, stated that his age wa- about Si yearn, she had gone to deceati-.IV »hop at !) o'clock on Friday. Mr. l'.'irgess was there, lie left at about 5..10. I'bat was the last time she saw him

alive. She noticed nothing at all strange in bin wanner. She was thoroughly conversant with the whole of the business, aud there was uotliing whatever to worry him in this respect, lie was not in financial trouble. 'Tut-ide of business he had no eare that she knew of. She had seen the papers produced. Her brother-in-law would in all probability Imvc them with linn. She recognised the trousers produced as those worn by Iturgess. She had not the slightest doubt that the body found was that of her brother-in-law. She had never seen any fuse in hi- possession. He was by trade an engineer, and was a healthy man. Lately he had complained ali.Mit the heat. Mie knew of no worry ho hid. unbiss the effort of removing hi-hu-incss to m-w premises was too nun-h lor him.

A verdict of suicide during temporary insanity was returned, the jury expressing sympathy with the wife aiM relatives of the deceased.